2. Donatus's Latin grammar

In the 15th century, Latin was the language used
by the educated and governing classes throughout Europe. The most widespread
work used for teaching it, Ars minor (The Smaller Art [of Grammar]),
was written in the 4th century by Aelius Donatus. He was the teacher of
Jerome who translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin.

Donatus's Ars minor was one of the first
items to be printed in Europe. There are many editions from the 15th century,
but most survive only in fragments. Little books used by schoolboys, most
have been worn to bits. Large and prestigious books such as the Bible
have survived in much better condition, for they often ended up being
owned by institutions with libraries where they were spared heavy use
and they were protected from one generation to the next.

Quite a number of fragments survive of Donatus's
grammar printed with the same type as the Gutenberg Bible. The British
Library has a copy of leaf 2 of one of these editions. It was previously
dated around 1455, but the date now seems less certain, for it is of course
possible that the type was used after the Bible was printed.

It is highly likely that some of the editions
are earlier than the Gutenberg Bible, for it would have made sense to
print a small schoolbook while preparing for a gigantic publication like
the Bible. It would have brought in much needed ready cash.

An introduction to the teaching of Latin in the
15th century:
Kristian Jensen, 'The Humanist reform of Latin and Latin teaching', in
The Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Humanism, edited by Jill
Kraye (Cambridge, 1996), 63-81.